In Africa, a network of digital voices has emerged to amplify pro-Russian narratives, often aligned with the Kremlin’s strategic interests. At the heart of this movement stands Evgueni Prigojine, a close ally of Vladimir Poutine and financier of the Wagner Group, whose influence operations span the continent. Through intermediary organizations like the Afric (Association for Free Research and International Cooperation), managed from Maputo by the Mozambican academic José Matemulane and presided over by Ioulia Afanasieva—a Prigojine associate—the Russian oligarch orchestrates coordinated messaging campaigns.
The Afric collaborates with panafricanist media outlets such as Radio Révolution panafricaine and Afrique Média TV, both based in Cameroon and led by Justin B. Tagouh. Tagouh, who has twice visited Sotchi and claims to have met Poutine, leverages these platforms to disseminate anti-French and pro-Russian content. The Cameroonian politician Banda Kani, head of the Nouveau mouvement populaire party, frequently appears on Afrique Média TV to promote aggressive pro-Kremlin stances, including labeling the Ukrainian government as a “criminal oligarchy” and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, a “rogue.” Kemi Seba, the Franco-Béninois activist, is also a regular guest on the channel.
Kemi Seba’s Kremlin connections
Kemi Seba, founder of the Urgence panafricaniste NGO, has cultivated ties with Aleksandr Douguine, a Russian nationalist ideologue advocating for a multipolar world and vehemently opposed to Western liberalism. Seba met with Poutine in Russia as early as 2017 and again in March 2022, when he also engaged with Mikhaïl Bogdanov, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Africa and the Middle East. Seba delivered a lecture at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations during this visit.
In October 2020, Seba revealed on Vox Africa that he had been invited by Evgueni Prigojine to visit Russia, Sudan, and Libya. However, Seba distanced himself from Prigojine after the oligarch allegedly pressured him to endorse violent actions targeting Western symbols—even at the risk of collateral damage in Africa. Despite this rift, Seba continues to amplify pro-Kremlin narratives across social media platforms.
The “Dame de Sotchi” phenomenon
Nathalie Yamb, a Cameroonian-Swiss activist and self-proclaimed “Dame de Sotchi” after her participation in the 2019 Russia-Africa Summit, is one of Africa’s most vocal critics of France and its allies. Her outspoken rhetoric led to her expulsion from Côte d’Ivoire in December 2019. According to the Free Russia Foundation, Yamb attended a Berlin conference in January 2020 organized by Afric and the Foundation for the Protection of National Values—a structure linked to Prigojine and led by Alexander Malkevitch, a figure with ties to Russian intelligence services. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Yamb has openly supported the Russian military campaign.
Yamb is associated with Côte d’Ivoire’s Lider party, whose Twitter account disseminates pro-Russian propaganda. Though the party’s founder, Mamadou Koulibaly, has retired from politics and reduced his social media presence, he traveled to Bamako in mid-March to support Mali’s pro-Russian junta. In an interview with Vox Africa, Koulibaly explained he accepted an invitation from a panafricanist youth movement, stating his goal was to “break the embargo and stand with populations fighting for their sovereignty.”
Moscow’s media footprint in Bangui
In the Central African Republic, Fred Krock, director of the widely followed radio station Lengo Songo, serves as a primary Kremlin relay. Lengo Songo is reportedly fully funded by Lobaye Invest, a mining company tied to the Wagner Group and initially managed by Evgueni Khodotov, a Prigojine loyalist. The station’s content is frequently amplified by Ria Fan, a Russian news agency that functions as part of Prigojine’s media ecosystem.
Lengo Songo regularly features prominent Russian figures in Bangui, including former ambassador Vladimir Titorenko, ex-presidential advisor Valeri Zakharov, sociologist Maksim Shugaley, and Aleksandr Ivanov, head of the Community of Officers for International Security (Cosi). The station also amplifies the voices of Blaise Didacien Kossimatchi, a member of the pro-Touadéra platform “Galaxie nationale,” and Harouna Douamba, president of the association “Aimons notre Afrique,” both of whom are financed by Lobaye Invest and involved in organizing pro-Russian demonstrations in Bangui.
Pro-Russian networks in South Africa
Africa’s pro-Russian sentiment extends to South Africa, where social media amplifies Kremlin-aligned narratives. The Twitter account attributed to Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former president Jacob Zuma, was among the first in the country to popularize the #istandwithrussia hashtag, which has been shared hundreds of thousands of times. Most content associated with the hashtag denounces NATO and Western “imperialism.”
In Mali, Adama Diarra, known as “Ben le cerveau,” spearheads pro-Russian activism as spokesperson for the movement Yerewolo – Debout sur les remparts. In September 2021, he confirmed rumors of Wagner Group negotiations with Mali’s transitional government, becoming a key organizer of pro-Russian rallies in Bamako. “Fifty Russian military experts have been in Mali for over a month,” he stated, noting they had conducted an assessment of the country’s needs.
The Kremlin’s influence operations in Africa rely on a mix of media partnerships, political alliances, and digital activism. From Bamako to Bangui, these networks amplify narratives that align with Moscow’s geopolitical objectives, often targeting Western presence and influence on the continent.
